We have gotten into painting mode. It is imperative that we paint the cabin where stuff is going to be mounted when we put Gypsy back together. This has meant a flurry of filling and sanding so surfaces are ready for paint. What we do is paint a coat of primer and then after it has dried, sand it. If there are defects in the surface, more filler and sanding. Then a second coat of primer followed by at least two top coats of enamel.
We are using oil based paint because it is tough and holds up better in a marine environment. Oil based paint stinks so we have to wear respirators while we paint and it takes at least a day to dry. After painting now for two weeks the results are looking good. We got our first coats of the semi gloss white enamel on the shear clamp and cabin sides. This is the best the cabin has looked in years. We’ve been adding fiberglass reinforcements, new ports and other projects as we could, but it’s meant that the cabin still looked like a project, in spite of cheerful curtains. It’s finally beginning to look finished. Wow!
We also cut big holes in the bulkheads for the 4 ” furnace ducts. Being warm has to make up for the lost storage space because we’re suddenly realizing how much small locker space is being taken over by ductwork. Plumbing hoses and electrical wires also needed bigger holes and some of those holes have run into the new shear clamp. We mend and forge on.
The dorade boxes are coming along. They got a starter round of sanding to fair them into the cabin top. Imagine them painted with cowls on top, and they’re gorgeous.
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The other project was the cockpit locker lids. They had been installed wrong ever since the boat was new, with not enough lip to properly screw in hinges. We added fiberglass to the back edge where the hinge attaches and added a foam core to stiffen the lids. They will also sit level with the rest of the cockpit seating now.
It’s exciting to see how the interior of the boat is coming together. The exterior doesn’t have much left to do, and that should be well on it’s way during this next week.
GypsyKramer 
Many more kudos ! Very painstaking work!
Respectfully, Charles Needles
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You all should be patting each other on backs for for your hard hard work! Thanks for laboring safely .
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Another fabulous job of work and reporting. You remain amazing! 🙂
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Do you need to wear sunglasses now when you go below?
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Yes, our future is so bright we have to wear shades. Actually, we won’t need the sunglasses until we sail off to Tahiti, but we hope that is not too far off. Will Dromen be joining us?
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